Chances are you’ve never heard of Serendipity Day. But guess what? It’s a semi-official holiday (at least official enough to be listed in Chase’s Calendar of Events), and it’s today! To celebrate, I asked editor Elizabeth Yarborough a few questions about our just-published Serendipity: A Journal. It’s a place to track and write about everyday happy accidents, both big and small.

Was there a serendipitous moment that led you to come up with the idea for the journal?

I came up with the idea when I realized, as part of my own personal wellness practice, that tracking serendipity actually works—that by being alert and open to the elements of chance in our life, we cultivate a more positive outlook and invite in more happiness. I wanted to share this discovery with our readers and create a tool for them—and for myself—that makes tracking serendipity easy and fun.

Did anything serendipitous happen during the project?

Before pitching the project, I researched serendipity and discovered that it has been trending throughout society in recent years. Thinkers and institutions from Malcolm Gladwell to Oprah to Forbes to NPR’s This American Life have been exploring serendipity and its links to our creative processes and well-being. This discovery got the project off to a serendipitous start.

Did it make you more aware of the serendipitous occurances in your own life?

Absolutely! The journal identifies six key sources of serendipity and offers dozens of examples, making the point that serendipity is not as elusive as we might think. I have come to see serendipity as anything that lifts my spirits—a cool breeze, a heartwarming comment from a friend, a splash of color on a grey day—because there’s no denying the serendipitous magic in these seemingly mundane occurrences. Serendipity is all around us, just waiting to be noticed.